Performing a Plumbing Inspection According to the InterNACHI® SOP

[@rongants6082]

I've tested T&P valves and had a hell of a time getting them to completely stop. I don't test them anymore.

[@internachi]

We agreed. Don't test the valves.

[@pecv4776]

one question on the bathroom sealer..you said it has to be seal all around with what material. you ve said not caulk..other inspector told me it is supposed to be caulk all around less 2 inches in the back of the toilet to see when it leaks . you wanna see a leak in the back of the toilet ... so which one is correct...can you explain.. please

[@internachi]

Hi, Pablo. I don't believe it's code or standardized, but more like a personal choice. I like your suggestion of leaving a couple inches in the back of the toilet not sealed. That allows a leak, if one exists, to come out on the floor and be seen, and then fixed. If it was sealed all around, no one would know, until it appeared below.

[@rongants6082]

You stopped the vanity sink and filled it without doing any inspection of the under sink plumbing first. I did that once in new construction and found that the drain plumbing to that sink had not been installed. Now, I look below first, then run some water without stopping the drain, THEN I fill the sink.

[@internachi]

Nice, Ron.

[@JCORDEROL]

Very informative video/inspection, thanks for sharing.

[@internachi]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@amosdunham2511]

Previous nachi plumbing video stated if a toilet was not on a slab. The caulk could not be completed all the way around. Theoretically to detect if the wax ever fails. What should we be following?

[@internachi]

I'm not sure there's a code standard about the sealant around the toilet. But I'll look. It would be in codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPC2018P3

[@luisgonzales5717]

THANK YOU BOSS 💪 GREAT VIDEO 🙏 GOD BLESS!!!

[@internachi]

You're welcome!

[@jdellarocca1979]

15:00 Other InterNACHI inspectors have suggested that the toilet should NOT be sealed all the way around, but a gap left in back so that if there's a leak, it's detected through the back of the toilet and doesn't seep into the floor. Is there an InterNACHI recommendation on sealing around the toilets?

[@internachi]

Not a formal one. It's really up to the plumber. I personally prefer the backside of the toilet base (where it rests on the bathroom floor) to be unsealed.

[@Windowcleaningalchemyalchemy1]

Is the gas pipe shut off valve in the wrong position? I thought it was to come before the drip leg not after it.

[@internachi]

Oh, great question. You may want to contact the inspector, Lon, at www.nachi.org/certified-inspectors/lon-henderson-cmi-53115. You may also be interested in free, online inspection classes at www.nachi.org/webinars.

[@mdf3962]

Not sure if you got tour answer yet, but the shut off valve should be before the union fitting. It should go, Piping, gas valve, short nipple, union, short nipple, Tee. 2-3" nipple with cap for drop leg facing down vertically. Then whatever fittings you need for your particular appliance, coming out horizontally from your Tee. This allows you to shut off the gas and remove everything that you need to when changing appliances. Hope this helps.

[@wildb4206]

I have never seen a DWV cleanout in the wall like that. Is that an access that a plumber would have made during a repair or is that something that was installed during the home construction?

[@internachi]

Good question.

[@chrisnah8423]

I never saw a drain near the t&p valve. How close is recommended?

[@internachi]

Good question.

[@brycetadd2698]

The expansion tank should be installed on the cold water line before going to the water heater rather than on the hot water line.

[@internachi]

It's usually on the cold supply, but the manufacturer's installation recommendations will be specific about that. Here's an example: www.hotwater.com/lit/im/tanks/332845-000.pdf

[@marcellogenovese199]

11:00 If a homeowner is recommended to test the TPR valve annually shouldn't it follow that there would be water staining by default? Not sure if the stains would tell you much if they are meant to be bleed onto the floor regularly like that.

[@internachi]

Good point, Marcello. Home inspectors are keen to observe any type of water mark, dry or wet. Diagnosing is not part of a home inspector's responsibility, but it's fun.

[@Marrakech_Trucking]

Isn’t the water heater supposed to be 18inches off the ground?? Or is it just in the garage

[@internachi]

There are standards for that. The 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) addresses the elevation of water heater tanks in garages under Section M1307.3. IRC 2021 Section M1307.3: "Elevation of ignition source." The code requires that appliances, including water heaters, with an ignition source must be elevated so that the ignition source is located not less than 18 inches above the floor of a garage. This requirement is to minimize the risk of igniting flammable vapors, such as gasoline, that might accumulate near the floor. It's important to note that this requirement typically applies to fuel-burning water heaters with an ignition source and not to electric water heaters without an ignition source. This code ensures safety by reducing the risk of fire in areas where flammable vapors might be present.

[@Marrakech_Trucking]

@@internachi thank you

[@TonyTunesENT]

on the gas meter...they are using the white Teflon tape and yellow at the bottom. is this not a defect?

[@internachi]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching. I teach free online classes for inspectors at www.nachi.org/webinars. Free, online, and open to everyone.

[@sempergumby2341]

I remember horrible sewage smells emanating from the laundry room at my old apartment complex. Sometimes it would permeate the apartment even. Maintenance had no clue what it was.

[@internachi]

Nice.

[@calebibarra4144]

The drip leg should be after the shut off valve, correct ?

[@internachi]

Correct.

[@kylewray9213]

The dishwasher line most often goes to the garbage disposal. It helps dispose of any food particles leaving the dishwasher. I don't think I would explain plumbing was wrong in my report. Which municipalities prohibit this? I would document with a photo that I saw unused plumbing lines. For the plumber's sake we don't know if that line was unusable at the time.

[@internachi]

Right. Thanks for watching and replying here. For more videos about home inspections, check out www.nachi.org/webinars

[@taterchip888]

One thing he forgot to mention is to aim the jets downward before you start the pump. I found out the hard way!

[@internachi]

Downward. Yep.

[@t-squared16]

Question about how the inspector says he wants caulking around the toilet. Why does he want that? I wouldn't want that as if there was a leak you wouldn't notice until it seaped through the floor. Thoughts?

[@norancho]

Section 405.6 of the 2018 IPC requires the toilet to be sealed to the floor. P2705.3 of the IRC says that plumbing fixtures (toilet in our example) should be water tight to the floor which typically is interpreted as "caulked" to the floor. Some code experts these codes as caulking 360 degrees around the base. Two purposes to sealing the toilet to the floor. One: it helps anchor the toilet to the floor, particularly on an uneven floor sometimes seen in old homes. Secondly, sealing prevents water from getting under the toilet from an overflowing toilet (who hasn't had a toilet overflow?). An overflowing toilet is far more common than a leaking flange seal. A popular discussion point is, what constitutes "sealed to the floor." While the IPC may have some wiggle room, the IRC does not allow for ambiguity by requiring a water tight seal. In our biz, many city inspectors and plumbers like to leave the back of the toilet uncaulked to allow a leaking wax seal or flange seal to reveal itself out the back of the toilet. I suggest finding out what your local city/county inspector requires.

[@internachi]

It's really up to the inspector to make comments such as that which is in the best interest of their client. Home inspectors are not code inspectors, and they don't intend to be knit-picky, but recommendations to seal around a fixture is in general a good recommendation.

[@whith5184]

a previous NACHI plumbing video states that caulking can be all around the toilet if the toilet is on a concrete slab floor

[@vincentruffo5948]

Great video thank you!

[@internachi]

Glad you liked it!

[@capoeirask8]

on the boiler section, the drain pipe connecting to the pressure valve, does it need to be copper pipe? or can it be pvc?

[@internachi]

Good question. I invite you to take the Master Class for Home Inspectors at www.nachi.org/masterclass.htm.

[@p-squared6766]

The black specks in the hot tub is more than likely, dried corrosion from galvanized steel not Mold. My assumption is the house has been unoccupied for a little while. Not a serious issue but recommend a licensed and bonded plumber to look at the system for replacement in the future. Be careful with the M word around agents. This guy obviously works with flippers😂😂. Great info though. Thank you.

[@internachi]

Thanks for watching.

[@lessermook7608]

Gonna be Plumbing Inspector. 🔧🛠🛁🚿🚽

[@internachi]

Nice. Go for it, Lessor.

[@sandymoonstone855]

ty

[@internachi]

Thank you.

[@arnoldindustries6983]

Mythbusters proved that the water heater will not become a bomb but a rocket!

[@internachi]

Right. Bomb or rocket, either one is a "no go" in home.

[@Marrakech_Trucking]

And a drain pan

[@internachi]

Yes. Drain pans are important.

[@arnoldindustries6983]

On another video the master inspector said the toilet should NOT be completely sealed around the perimeter unless it is sitting over a slab. Over wood framing floors it should be not according to him.

[@internachi]

One of the practices is to leave an open gap by not sealing the entire perimeter base of the toilet where it sits on the bathroom floor, regardless of the floor surface type. The idea is to allow a toilet water leak to come out conspicuously onto the bathroom floor.

[@arnoldindustries6983]

@@internachi Yes that's how I understood it.